Extract from Illawong Lodge Conservation Plan
Illawong Lodge is a place of heritage significance for its
role in, and association with, the history of skiing in the Snowy Mountains
region. It is of local significance for the Snowy Mountains region and it
represents important historic, aesthetic and social values for this area of
NSW.
The historical significance of Illawong Lodge lies primarily
in its association with two key phases of ski touring history in the Kosciuszko
area: the activities of the Ski Club of Australia (and its split from the
Kosciuszko Alpine Club) in the 1920s and the formation and activities of the
Ski Tourers Association of the 1950s. It is closely associated with two leading
figures in skiing history in Australia who were also the instigators of these
two phases of ski history: Herbert Schlink and Charles Anton. The role of the
NSW Tourist Bureau in the construction of the Pounds Creek Hut section of
Illawong Lodge provides important evidence of the often direct involvement of
the NSW Government in the promotion of skiing and the provision of ski field
accommodation. Illawong Lodge also provides evidence of changes over time of
the relationship between nature-based recreation and nature conservation.
Illawong Lodge has aesthetic significance as a small scale
structure in a remote and dramatic setting. The two-part form of the building
provide clear evidence of its history as a ski touring hut and later adaptation
as a ski lodge. As such, the external form is the most significant element of
the building. While original internal fabric and spaces are very significant,
the evolution of fabric and fittings over time to provide for ongoing use is
also very significant.
Illawong Lodge has social signficance for those involved in
the post war ski touring history of the Snowy Mountains region, including the
Ski Tourers Association (now Australian Alpine Club). The building has
particular social significance for the members of Illawong Ski Tourers, most of
whom have a long and close association with the Lodge, for its particular sense
of place, its unique history and special and unusual aspects of occupation and
use and maintenance.
Illawong Lodge has some technical significance for its
association with a remote place and alternate technologies and for the
technical qualities of the associated Flying Fox and Suspension Bridge.
from Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd. (2005). Illawong Lodge - Conservation Plan. p.62.